There Is A “Tebow Bill” Actually Pending In The Virginia State Senate

Tim Tebow was famously home-schooled. Still, he dominated at quarterback on his local high school’s football team. He was eventually recruited to Florida where he won the Heisman Trophy and became arguably the greatest college football player of all time. Then he did more miraculous things in Denver; then the New York Jets happened.

Had Tim Tebow grown up in Virginia, he may never have become The Tim Tebow. In Virginia, home-schooled children are not allowed to play on public high school athletic teams, or participate in other public high school extracurriculars. But a new bill, which last week made its way through the state’s House of Representatives, looks to tear down that divide. And the bill, which gives home-schooled children the right to participate in these public education-sponsored activities, is affectionately referred to as the “Tebow Bill” (*stabs self in eye*).

“Delegates voted 56-43 for House Bill 1442, which will be heard by the Senate Health and Education Committee Thursday. The bill, sponsored by Del. Robert Bell (R-Albemarle) would require public schools to allow home-schoolers to participate in sports and other extracurricular activities. Of the delegates who represent Loudoun in the General Assembly, only Tom Rust (R-86) voted against the measure.”

If we might pass moral and legal judgment for a moment, it’s probably not a terrible idea to afford home-schooled children the opportunity for social interaction in any capacity. But naming the bill after Tim Tebow, enough already. He already has named after him six horses, a beer, a sandwich, a burrito, a racing dog, an NCAA rule and a day in Alabama.

We should also mention that multiple states have already attempted to pass similar legislation – most of whom named the bill after Tim Tebow in some capacity – including Virginia, which has failed in its attempts previously. All of which is to say: ugh.